Deferral of registration fees aims to ease financial pressure

Ahpra is piloting the option for Australian and New Zealand medical school graduates applying for provisional registration for the first time.

Deferral will be available during the period from 9 October 2026 to 4 January 2027.

Graduates who request fee deferral before applying for provisional registration will pay the application fee upfront but have until 31 March 2027 to pay the registration fee.

Data released last month showed medical students were increasingly having to rely on on student loans, family and savings accounts to get through their degree.

Medical Deans of Australia and New Zealand, which released the data, said the rate at which medical students were having to work and rely on paid employment alongside studies was not sustainable.

Earlier this year the federal government expanded the Commonwealth Prac Payment scheme to ten additional allied health disciplines from July 2027 but excluded medical students from the list.

Medical Board of Australia Chair Dr Susan O’Dwyer said many students graduated after a period of limited income while studying and completing their clinical placements.

"Many medical students will soon be taking a well-deserved break after years of study and clinical placements, before they start their internship," said Dr O’Dwyer.

"This trial recognises that graduating students won’t start earning a full-time wage until they start their first job as a doctor. We're deferring part of their regulatory costs until they’re better able to afford them."

Ahpra chief executive Justin Untersteiner said the pilot would provide insights into demand, implementation requirements and system impacts, helping inform future consideration of flexible payment options across other professions.

"We’ve heard clearly that upfront registration costs can be challenging for some graduates at a time when they’re transitioning from study into the workforce," he said.

"This pilot is an opportunity to test a more flexible approach and understand how we might expand payment options to other professions in the future."

Registration fees fund the work of Ahpra and the National Boards and vary by profession.

In 2026/27, the application fee for Australian and New Zealand medical school graduates is $332 and registration is $543.

This year annual registration fees increased by 4.1%, above the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and this year’s Medicare Indexation Rate of 2.6%.

Ahpra also offers a 30% rebate on annual renewal fees for practitioners who have recently taken an extended period of parental leave, or certain other forms of leave such as disability and carers leave.